Brian Reidy: Animal health issues in cattle this December
Dry The Lang="en for On That Chip A Layer And Put Wood I
We have experienced a pretty mild spell of weather recently, apart from Storm Darragh that is.
While we have had some cold nights, the days have been pleasant up to the beginning of this week when the cold air has appeared. The significant change in temperatures when animals are housed always proves challenging. When this occurs there is generally an increase in reports of respiratory issues in all ages of cattle. It is so hard to get ventilation right in sheds. It is so dependent on the direction of the wind on any given day along with shelter from surrounding buildings etc. Too much shelter and you end up with stale air causing issues and too little shelter and you have a draught causing issues.
Many discussions have been had regarding good shed design and the type of side sheeting that gives the best ventilation. The key, though, is airflow. Creating a natural movement of air, where the air comes in at an appropriate point in the shed and then has a route out of the shed. Vented sheeting can often be detrimental to good ventilation, especially in calf houses. It can cause a trickle of air into the shed and often creates cold draughts for the cattle.
I have seen many really good calf/creep areas where the side sheeting has been offset outside the wall and running down 16-18 inches below the top of the wall. This results in air hitting the wall and taking an upward trajectory. Once there is a canopy on the shed then this upward moving air will continue to rise and escape through the canopy. This creates a chimney effect pulling any stale air off the animals.
In existing sheds where airflow is poor, then you may need to take temporary measures to improve ventilation. Doors may need to be opened. Where draughts are coming in then the addition of a gale breaker may be helpful. Some use bales of straw in pens or inside doors to provide additional shelter for calves.
Clipping cattle is an excellent way of helping them to regulate their body temperature while indoors. In the weather conditions we have been having lately, cattle have been sweating in sheds. Animals that sweat are more stressed and are always much dirtier. For beef cattle with a lot of hair it really is well worth clipping 3 strips along their backs, right up to the head and also clipping the tails clean. The results will be plain to see within days as you will see less sweat and cattle will start to clean off all over.
I vaccinated my herd for IBR recently and clipped about half of the maiden heifers at the same time. It is an eye-opener to see the difference in the clipped vs non-clipped after 10 days. They are much more settled and cleaner; I will dose all and clip the remainder this coming weekend. Clipping cattle before using a pour-on to treat for parasites also helps the product to penetrate the skin faster and more effectively.
Get the clippers oiled up and in action to improve animal health, performance and comfort. If you don’t have a clipper, there are many great value options out there, with many now opting for battery ones with excellent clipping time between charging. I have both a cable and battery clippers and guess which one I will end up using when I have some youthful help at the weekend?
I know that many now perceive straw to be an expensive product, but there is still nothing better to keep young calves warm and cosy. You can have all the ventilation and airflow discussed above, but it is also essential to have a clean and dry bed for calves to nest down in. Regular fresh straw in the bed will keep them dry and clean and again aid the prevention of illness.
I have tried something new this year with my autumn-born suckler calves, where I put plastic pallets around the perimeter of the creep on three sides, entrance door, access to cows on slats and under the feeding area. Inside that, I put a layer of dry wood chip up to the level of the pallets and straw on top of that. Almost four weeks in and I have only topped up the straw once this weekend just gone. I did similar last year but without the pallets. I am delighted with calf comfort, cleanliness and straw savings.
Obviously, if cattle are warm in sheds, then they will require a good source of water to help cool down. An added issue this year is the amount of very dry silages being fed, particularly 2nd and 3rd cuts. When consuming these, cattle will also require extra water. Meal feeding will also result in more water being drank. Access to a big enough water trough with a sufficient supply of clean water is so important to animal performance. Aim to inspect troughs daily and clean them regularly in order to maintain feed intake and performance.
